Bristle feeding and picking device



Aug. 13, 1940.

. L. w. VINAL 2,211,036

BRISTLE FEEDING AND PICKING DEVICE Filed June 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet lAug. 13, 1940. w. VINAL 2,211,036

BRISTLE FEEDING AND PICKING DEVICE Filed June 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 II I I All 11mm Patented Aug. 13, 1940 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

- BRISTLE FEEDING AND PICKINGWDIEVICE Leroy W. Vinal, Leominster, Mass,assignor to E. I. du Pont de NBIIIOIH'SK; Com'pany', Wilmington, Del., acorporationof Delaware Application June 7, 1938, Serial No. 212,371

9 Claims. (01. sot-71 The principal objects of this invention are toprovidea bristle feeding device with a hopper arranged so it can befilled withv bristles without stopping the machine and to provide meanswhereby a"movable bottom for the hopper is oscillated on a pivot nearthe top thereof for consolidating" the bristles in the lower part, whichis of gradually reduced area toward the end, and

v to press the bottom against the picker so that the picker may beenabled to pick up enough bristlesto forin a tuft; to provide an end forthe hopper which will bear by spring-pressure on the surface offlthepicker and prevent the loss of bristles'at this point and also bringthem to a position to be fed into the slot in the picker; to provide theabove features in combination with an oscillating picker, and to providethe picker with means for adjusting both the depth of the slot'forreceiving the bristles and the position of the slot at the deliveringpoint.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview ofa hopper for feeding bristles, or the like, and associated partsillustrating a preferred form of this invention,

and v Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, partly in section.

This hopper andbristle feeding device is intended'to be attached to atuft forming and setting" machine-and to constitute an important partthereof. In the form shown, the'hopper 5 is supported by a part of theframe ID of such a machine and the hopper proper is carried partly bya'bracket on that frame.- The hopper comprises two sides l2, each onehavinga vertical slot l3 therein. At one side of the hopper is a brackethaving a screw M on a horizontalflarm |5 which, at its outer end, has apivot screw l6 carrying a bar IT. This bar passes through thetwo slotsI3. The other two sides of the hopper are fixed in place by screws l9 orthe like. As the bristles feed'do'wn, the bar I! feeds down naturallyand the intention is that this bar should always apply a little pressureto the bristles in the hopper to keep'them consolidated and eliminateimportant interstices between the bristles and to keep them from mixingup in the top part of the.

I Toward thelower endof the hopper is a pivot to the accompanying '20carrying a generally inclined and curvedplate 2| constituting the bottomof the hopper. For

there is a projection 22 up from this bottom which extends up into aslot 23. in the bottom of one of the sides I 2. I This bottom extendsdown to a point below the lower endl8 at the opposite side, l2 of'thehopper and the shape and curvature are such that the space betweenwhich the bristles are discharge'd against the picker: 23

,- the purpose of preventing theescape of bristles,

grows gradually less toward thedischarge end of the hopper. Thisdischarge endis closed by a static-nary member 24 having within it aspringpressed plunger '25; The spring behind this plunger keeps a curvedsurface 26 at the end of the plunger constantly in contact with the ar-Therefore, at no time The result of this construction is that, where thecam is shown, the bell crank 28 will remain stationary until the-camturns to such position as to bring into operation the sinuous outline 32of the cam. Now the bell crank will be oscillated and thesbottom 2|willalso be oscillated toward and from the picker 23. The shortest distance3 between the picker and the bottom of the hopper iscontrolled-bythescrew 21 which supports the bottom 2|.- The picker 23 is operated bya link! which is actuated by a cam (notshown) in a well known manner,andin a certain relationship to the-shaft 3| so that, during the forwardmotion of the picker after the slot has passed out of the hopper, thebottom 2| will be constantlyzoscillated to settle the bristles andcompact themin the bottomof the hopper. The

bottom 2| is under the influence of the concentric portion of the camduring the backward stroke of the picker and is being forced up to holdthe bristles firmly against the picker.

It will be seen also that, from the stationary frame 25 on which thestationary member 24 is mounted, there is a spring 36 which also engagesa projection on the bell crank which operates thebottom 2 Therefore,this spring 36, at every opportunity, presses the bottom 2| backwardlyagainst the screw 21 and the projection 29 inwardly toward the cam 3|].

' There is' an adjustable screw stop 44 for controlling the end of thestroke of the. picker 23 Ian inclination.

and another adjustment screw 31 for adjusting the depth of the pickerslot 39.

Link 40 has connected thereto a slide 4| running in a guide in thepicker, and said slide is provided with a lateral projection 48 whichreciprocates in a slot 49 in the picker. At the ends of the slot 49,there are provided the shoulders 5|] and 5| which projection 48 abuts todrive the picker 23 in either direction with a slight lost motion ateach end of the stroke. The projection 48 also mounts the separatorknife 42 which closes the bristle slot 39 at appropriate intervals andseparates excess bristles from .the tuft in the slot.

The bristles which are carried downwardly by the picker from the slide4| are released into a slot 45 in a support 46. Here, a needle 41 comesdown in the center, doubles the bristles into a tuft, and forces them,if desired, into a previously prepared brush back in the usual way. ofcourse, a wirelnot shown) is introduced transversely into the center ofthe tuft of bristles, as usual.

With the picker as shown in Fig. 2, the end of the down or clockwisestroke has been substantially reached and at this point the link 40 andattached projection 48 start on their upward or counter-clockwisemovement, thus withdrawing the knife 42 from the slot 39, and uncoveringthe latter. The cam actuating the link 40 then causes a slighthesitation of the parts until the bristles have been removed from thepicker by the descent of needle 41.

As the projection 48 continues in a counterclockwise direction, it abutsshoulder 50 and thus urges the picker, with the bristle slot 39 open, inits upward movement. At the top of the str0ke,the slot'3'9 has picked upenough bristles to form a tuft and the link 40 starts to descend, theprojection 48 traveling in slot 49 until it strikes shoulder 5|, atwhich point the bristle slot 39 is closed, and the picker 23 starts itsdownward movement to the slot 45. It is to be noted that the picker 23has a short dwell at each end of its stroke due to the fact that theslot 49 is longer than the driving projection 48, and thus a lost motionconnection is provided between the slide 4| and its knife 42, and thepicker.

The bottom 2! is oscillated part of the time through a slight arc tokeep the bristles consolidated at the discharge end of the hopper andwhile at rest the picker slot 39 scoops the bristles into it, wherebythis slot is filled while it is at As the picker moves down to theposition shown and slightly beyond it, these bristles move down and thebristles are acted on in the usual way to form the tuft, as desired.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what'I claim is:

1. In a bristle feeding device, the combination with a hopper forreceiving the bristles having a tapering lower part, and a movablebottom for controlling the area of the lower part, of means forintermittently vibrating said bottom to settle the bristles therein,means carried by said vibrating means for adjusting said bottom to limitsaid area, and a picker for gathering up enough bristles at a time toform a tuft when the bottom is not in motion.

2. In a bristle feeding device, the combination with a hopper forreceivingthe bristles having a movable bottom, of an oscillatable pickerin position for engaging the bristles part way between their ends oversaid bottom, means for oscillating said bottom to settle the bristleswhen the picker slot has moved out of the hopper, and a stationarymember having a spring pressed plunger constantly engaging the surfaceof the picker for keeping the end of the hopper closed.

3. In a bristle feeding device, the combination with a hopper forreceiving the bristles having a tapering lower part, a movable bottomfor controlling the width of said lower part, and means for vibratingsaid bottom to settle the bristles in said lower part, of an oscillatorypicker in position for engaging the bristles part way between their endsin said lower part and having a narrow opening in its edge for receivingfrom the hopper, on each backward stroke, enough bristles to form atuft.

4. In a bristle feeding device, the combination with a hopper forreceiving the bristles having a movable upwardly inclined bottom, and anopening of an oscillatorytpicker in position for its edge to engage thebristlespart way between their ends and having a narrow opening in itsedge for receiving therein from the hopper opening, on each backwardstroke, enough bristles to form a tuft, 'means for vibrating said bottomfrom a close to a remote position about an axis near one end, andyielding means for returnin said bottom to its more remote position.

5. In a bristle feeding device, the combination with a hopper forreceiving the bristles and a movable upwardly inclined bottom, of meansfor vibrating said bottom, of an oscillatory picker in position forengaging the bristles part way between their ends and having a narrowopening in its edge for receiving from the hopper, on each backwardstroke, enough bristles to form a tuft, means for vibrating said bottomfrom a close to a remote position about an axis near its upper end,yielding means for returning said bottom to its more remote position,and adjustable means for limiting the retraction of the bottom.

6, In a bristle feeding device, the combination with a hopper forreceiving the bristles having a tapering lower end and a movable bottomfor controlling the width of said lower end, of means for vibrating saidbottom, an oscillatory picker in position for engaging the bristles insaid bottom and having a narrow opening in its edge for receiving fromthe hopper, on each backward stroke, enough bristles to form a tuft, astationary member at the end of said bottom, and a spring pressedplunger in said member, for normally pressing the plunger into contactwith the vibrating picker.

7. In abristle feeding device, the combination with a hopper forreceiving the bristles having a vibrating bottom, of a picker inposition for engaging the bristles part way between their ends whilethey are on said bottom, said picker having a narrow opening in its edgefor receiving from the hopper, on each forward stroke, enough bristlesto form a tuft, and a tuft doubling device located at a point to receivethe bristles from said opening and double them into a tuft and force thedoubled tuft along a course to a point where they can be set.

8. In abristle feeding device, the combination with a bristle hopper, ofa reciprocable picker for engaging the bristles in the hopper and havinga slot in its edge for receiving the bristles, a member 'slidablymounted on said picker and constructed and arranged to reciprocate saidpicker, there being a lost motion connection between said member andsaid picker whereby the 75 picker has a short dwell at one limit of itsmovement, and a slot closing element on said member.

9. In a bristle feeding device, a hopper, a picker reciprocably mountedfor engagement with bristles in said hopper and having abristle-receiving slot, an opening in said picker, a slide movablymounted on said picker and having a projection shorter than said openingmounted therein, a slot-closing knife on said slide, means toreciprocate said slide and therefore said picker, the latter having ashort dwell at its bristle-discharging station during which said slideand said knife 5 retreat from said slot to open the same.

LEROY W. VINAL.

